Just by some miracle
by Virgo girl 14
Summary: The title is a work in progress... what if James and Lily never died? What if they had some help from an unlikely source? I hope the story is better than it sounds... you guys know by now that my summaries suck so please read on, let me know what you think
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

**September 1981**

Lily wasn't sure what to do. She hadn't spoken to her closest friend for four years, yet here she was, stood in her kitchen, reading a note from him that was practically begging to see her that day. In an hour no less. She glanced over at Harry who was happily making a mess of his breakfast, giggling to himself in his highchair, her eyes rested on the sleeping form of James on the sofa. She couldn't very well leave Harry unattended while his father got some much needed rest, and she couldn't call upon the Marauders, they'd ask too many questions. She had to take him wih her.

She sighed softly, tucking a fallen strand of auburn hair behind her ear, shoving Severus' note in her pocket and smiled at Harry. "I'm pretty sure, young man, that you're supposed to eat it, not play with it." she chastised, though her tone was gentle.

The young child just looked up at his mother with her eyes, though everything else was his father, and he giggled innocently.

"Right. Come on you. Quietly so Dada can still sleep. Let's get you cleaned up, we're going to get some fresh air." Lily said, picking her son up and swung him up in the air, catching the child in her arms as he let out a squeal of delight and e clung to her as he settled back in her arms. Lily looked over at James, who only shifted, groaned in his sleep, but didn't wake up. She walked through the living room and up the stairs to the nursery to pick out a fresh change of clothes and then walked through to the bathroom to clean him up.

Deciding she wasn't going to be gone for long, she reentered the nursery with a clean, freshly dressed Harry on her hip and she picked up his favourite cuddly dog toy from his cot. It had been a present from Padfoot, and Harry had barely let it go ever since.

The boy clutched the animal's ear tightly in his fingers as he was carried back down the stairs. "Dada!" He spoke, pointing at the still sleeping James.

Lily wrote a quick note for James saying she'd just taken Harry for a walk and would be back soon. "Yes Harry, Dada's sleeping. He's been very busy at work so we have to be quiet okay?"

Harry, as young as he was, seemed to understand and with the finger he had pointing at his dad, pulled it back to him and pressed it firmly to his lips in a shushing motion.

Lily smiled and nodded. "Good boy Harry." She cooed, pressing a kiss to his messy head of hair. She then walked out to the hallway, putting a coat on the child and put her own cloak around herself, pulling her hood up to hide her hair. Moments later she quickly exited the house, making her way through the tiny village of Godric's Hollow.

The village where she grew up wasn't far from Godric's Hollow, easily within walking distance. Severus had asked her to meet him at the park where they used to play, and walking was safer than Apparating, especially with Harry.

It took Lily half an hour to reach the familiar town she grew up in. She took a quiet moment to take in her surroundings. The houses still looked the same. The shops. The trees. The streets. Just as Harry had begun to fuss about his mother standing still, she started moving again. The playground came into view. Her street just to the left of her, dark and dingy Spinner's End just at the right. Clutching Harry tighter to her she walked on, looking around her as though expecting the scary drunk that was Severus' father to come out screaming at her, just as he had done once before, when the friends were just thirteen years old. She spotted a dark figure by the trees, she could tell by the stance that it was Severus.

Harry searched his new surroundings with bright green eyes, the dog's ear still clutched tightly in his hand.

Severus looked up as he heard footsteps, and he froze. She still looked the same as she had done on their final day at Hogwarts, the only difference was, that seventeen year old Lily Evans, was not married, and she did not have a child, who, from what he could see, was the double of James Potter. He was only jolted from his thoughts when he heard her speak.

"Severus?"

He looked at her again. "Lily." He spoke in a gentle tone that had been alien to him for so long. It was a tone he had only ever reserved for her.

"Why did you ask to see me?" she asked.

He wondered why she was even there. After the biggest mistake of his life, she had wanted nothing more to do with him. "Because I believe you to be in danger." he spoke after a while. "I know after all that was said, I don't deserve your forgiveness, but if I can do just one thing, it's this."

"What are you talking about?" Lily asked, wanting to know what he meant by danger, the fierce protectiveness in her taking control. She didn't need to ask who was after her family, she knew damn well who. And she would do anything to make sure her son was safe.

"You know I'm... trusted." He flinched at the fleeting look of disgust on her face as he spoke. "There is information that the Dark Lord will come for you and your family Lily. I don't know exactly when-"

"Of course he will come for us Severus! Dumbledore told us of the prophecy!" Lily snapped. "Two children born as the seventh month dies and he gets Alice and Frank tortured into insanity! My friends!"

"So who does it leave?!" Severus snapped back, effectively shutting the woman up, yet he couldn't bring himself to smirk in satisfaction as she paled and ever so slightly tightened her hold on the boy. "Please Lily." he added in a softer tone.

"What do you suggest?" Lily asked after a moment, keeping her composure in check. It wouldn't do too well to burst into tears over the safety of her child.

"I'm not going to tell you to run again, it's not fair on the child to uproot him. But don't trust your secret keeper." Severus told her. He had an uneasy feeling around Pettigrew. The boy was too... quiet.

Lily looked confused.

"Don't trust your secret keeper. And take this." He handed her three vials.

Lily recognised the colour. "Draught of Living Death?" she queried, checking the vials and pocketing them.

"I've put a few charms on the potion. It will have the desired effect, make you appear dead, but the Dark Lord wants to be sure that when he kills you you are dead. If you and your family drink this, it will have a delayed response, if he hits you with the killing curse, it will activate the potion and he will believe you to be dead. But you must not tell anybody."

"But what about James? I can't keep anything from him." Lily told him and gently bounced Harry in her arms as he started fussing, and kicking his legs to be let down. "Not yet, Harry." she softly spoke.

Harry wasn't impressed by this and let out another cry and tried to get his mother to put him down.

"Just tell him you're searching for a way to keep your family safe. If he knws you as I do, he knows you're stubborn and will stop at nothing."

Lily gave a small smile. Oh she missed her best friend... especially this concerned side to him. He was willing to do this for her despite what James and his friends had done to him, despite what he had said to her.

"Right... Well I'd better go..." Lily said softly, turning away, causing Harry to look upon him over his mother's shoulder.

"I have one thing to ask of you." He spoke, looking into James's face with Lily's eyes.

Lily turned back around to face him.

"Please be safe. Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, take it and run with it. Do not wait for something to happen."

"I will."

Severus watched as Lily turned on her heel once more and walked across the playground, toward where her parents lived, presumably to take her son to see his grandparents.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One**

**The Evening of October 31st 1981**

Lily watched as Harry zoomed across the living room on the toy broom that Sirius had bought for him. It was amusing the three... boys greatly. She couldn't call them men, because while they were fully grown physically, mentally, together they were still the teenage boys she spent most of Hogwarts attempting to avoid.

James looked over, sensing all was not well inside the mind of Lily Potter. He stood up from his chair and walked over to where she was stood in the hallway. "What's wrong? You usually love seeing Harry on his broom, you've hardly cracked a smile since he's been on it." He spoke softly. "Are you still thinking about the visit to your mum's last month?"

'Oh James... if only it were that simple...' Lily thought. While the visit occasionally played on her mind, today she hardly thought of it.

"You never even told me what was said." James added, taking her silence as confirmation.

"I told her we had to go away for a while... I didn't tell her where and... she wasn't too impressed that I was being so secretive... she also wasn't happy that I missed my sister's wedding to that brute of a man, didn't want to hear it when I told her Tuney didn't want me there." Lily sighed softly.

James looked at her and hugged her. "It'll be fine, Lil. You'll sort it soon."

Lily closed her eyes and hugged him. 'Yeah if I ever get the chance to...' she thought.

James let her go and lead her further into the room so she could join in the fun.

"Actually I was just going to get a drink." Lily spoke, stopping in her tracks, and smirked at a chorus of "Me too!"s from the three adults. She rolled her eyes and left for the kitchen, getting three butterbeers and put the kettle on for herself to make herself a cup of tea. While the kettle was boiling, she got her cup set up and picked up Harry's bottle of milk, pointing her wand at it, heating it to the right temperature.

She made her cup of tea and took the three vials from her pocket, tipping its contents into hers, Harry's and James's drinks, and carried them through to the living room, passing James the bottle and placed hers and Harry's drink on the table, summoning the remaining two bottles and passed them to Remus and Sirius as she sat down. "Harry!" She smiled.

The boy looked around at his name and giggled at his mother.

"Come to mummy!" She coaxed.

Sirius stopped the broom in that moment so Harry could get off it.

Harry looked up from his seated position on the floor. He wasn't going to crawl. No, fifteen month old Harry Potter wanted to try and walk.

The four adults watched as he used Sirius's legs as his leverage, pushing himself on to his knees, and then attempting to rise unsteadily to his feet.

Sirius stared, open mouthed, James, tears in his eyes feeling incredibly proud, was willing his son to stand. Lily was already crying, yet all Harry had done so far was rise to his knees. "Come on Harry. Come to mummy."

Sheer determination coursing through the young boy's body, Harry's hands searched for something higher to grip on to, finding Sirius's hands.

"It's okay, pup, you're doing fine." Sirius said encouragingly, holding his hands. He spared a glance at his brother. This was worth it just to see the look of pride and adoration in his brother's face. "Come on, that's it." He smiled as the boy shakily rose to his feet, his legs placed evenly to balance himself out.

Lily clapped a hand to her mouth, openly crying now.

"Well done, Harry." Remus smiled, saying the words James wanted to say, but was rendered speechless.

Harry looked around at the familiar faces and giggled.

Sirius held Harry's hands above his head and slowly turned him so he faced Lily.

Remus looked at her and motioned that she should get on the floor, which the young woman did straight away.

Lily held out her arms to her son.

Sirius stayed, keeping hold of Harry so he felt secure.

Harry looked up at his godfather, and then at his mother, saw her crying and he started to cry, not really understanding that she wasn't upset.

"Harry, baby I'm okay. I'm happy." Lily smiled, wiping her tears, moving to shuffle forward.

Sirius let Harry go and he fell forward into the comfort of his mother's arms.

"Shh.." she cooed, rocking him gently.

Harry had a vice grip on her shoulder through her jumper and his face buried his head into her neck.

"I think that's enough for one day." Remus spoke softly, drinking his butterbeer.

The other two men nodded, taking their own respective drinks.

"My boy still got on his two feet though." James said, practically glowing with pride.

Lily smiled as her tears stopped. "It's okay Harry. I'm okay." She whispered to her son.

"He's gonna be so protective of his mum." Sirius practically barked with laughter.

"He'll be a gentleman then." Lily spoke.

"He'll have the girls chasing him, but any girl that gets him will have to be special. She'll be a very lucky girl." James grinned.

"When you're quite finished attempting to marry my son off before he's turned two." Lily spoke in a joking manner, pushing herself up into her chair and gave Harry his bottle, who held it tightly with both hands as he drank, leaving Lily with her cup of tea.

As Harry drank, he curled himself in to his mother, lying against her chest.

With the butterbeers finished, James stood to discard the bottles, and he left for the kitchen.

"We'd better get going." Remus said once his friend came back.

"Yeah Harry looks like he's about to fall asleep on us." Sirius laughed, looking at the child nestled in his mother's arms, tiredly working his way through his food.

Lily smiled as she looked down at her son, gently brushing his hair with her fingers.

James looked at the sight, he couldn't believe his luck. A beautiful woman like Lily was his wife, and together they had created the most precious thing of all, their gorgeous son. He smiled.

"Alright let's go before we encourage Romeo over there." Remus joked, smirking.

"Lily, if you ever get bored you know where I am." Sirius winked jokingly.

"Oh get lost, Padfoot we know you couldn't handle me." Lily smirked.

Sirius was stunned for a moment. In that rare moment she was truly one of them, it never failed to silence him. "Well.I could try." He smirked once he found his voice.

"Padfoot. You're my brother. Do not think that makes you immune to a smack in the jaw." James smirked. He learned long ago not to take his friend seriously, that was why they got on so well, why they were as close as they were.

"Ah come on James! You can't blame a man for trying!"

"I can if I've spent every waking moment since I met her to get her."

"Alright, ladies, you're disturbing Harry." Lily smirked, drinking her tea.

"Did she just-?"

"Yep."

"I'll have you know, Evans, that I am a man. Can't say much for Prongs, but I can for me."

"I thought you were leaving."

The two men looked at each other and started laughing.

Hugs were exchanged, warnings to be careful were said, promises of tomorrow were spoken. James walked his two friends to the door and watched them leave, then walked back to Lily, who was just putting a nearly empty bottle of milk on the table. He smiled and sat on the sofa. "Come over here."

Lily looked up and smiled, cradling Harry to her and she stood, crossing the short space and she sat down next to him, leaning in to his embrace.

"I can't believe how lucky I am." James smiled. "I have a beautiful wife and a beautiful son."

"Well it certainly wasn't what I imagined growing up." Lily teased, smiling.

"I know I joke, and say he'll be the next leader of the Marauders, but in truth? I reckon he'll be just like you. Sweet, gentle, considerate, loving. He's our hope for the future Lils."

Lily froze at that last comment. Dumbledore had said the same thing, clearly in a different concept to James, but it still made her feel uneasy. Why was he Dumbledore's hope for the future? Why had he insisted Peter be their Secret Keeper? What was the silly old fool planning for her baby boy? She held the utmost respect for the man, but she couldn't shake the feeling something wasn't right, and not just with what she thought was going to happen tonight. She had refused to write a will for her son, having faith in her best friend for the first time in a while. He may not have liked James, but he thought of saving him as well we her and Harry, and she knew yhat if he could help it, Severus wouldn't harm her or anyone she cared about.

"Lils?" James shook her from her thoughts. "You alright? You spaced out."

"Oh... sorry." She smiled softly. "I'm just worried... how long will we have to look over our shoulder? When would Harry be able to have a normal childhood? Being cooped up at home and unable to safely go out into our garden it's not right."

James tightened his arm around her. "It's not fair I know. But it will get better. Harry will have a real childhood, he'll have his mum and dad who love him, who will wave him off to Hogwarts every September for seven years, cheer him on at Quidditch and all that. We will get through this."

"I hope so..." Lily sighed softly.

After a while in comfortable silence Lily moved to stand up, the movement causing a dozing Harry to wake up. "I'd better get this one to bed." She spoke softly. "Say night to Dada Harry."

James stood and kissed his son on the head.

Harry reached his hand out, knocking his dad's glasses off his nose.

James gave a small chuckle as Lily carried their son out of the room and up the stairs.

"Let's get you changed and ready for bed." Lily smiled, walking into the nursery, sitting Harry on the changing table, trusting him not to just slip off while she got his pyjamas and a fresh nappy. Once she had changed and dressed him, she carried him over to her rocking chair in the corner and sat down, starting to quietly sing him a lullaby.

He had just fallen to sleep, and Lily had just placed him down in the cot when she heard a noise from downstairs. She rushed out into the hallway. "James?!"

"Lily, it's him, just take Harry and run!"

As if on cue, Harry's cries sounded from his bedroom, causing Lily to act swiftly and ran back up the stairs. "C'mon Sev don't fail me now..." she muttered, hoping his charmed potion would work.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of green light. She threw herself down to the floor in front of the cot. "Harry listen to me... if this doesn't work you have to be brave... so so brave... just always remember that mummy and daddy love you very much..." she gently pleaded to her boy, who had stopped crying and was reaching out for her. Lily gently held his hand through the bats and pressed a trembling kiss into his palm. "Mumma loves you, and Dada loves you."

"How touching." Came a sinister voice behind her.

Lily jumped up and wheeled around.

"Step aside, Mudblood."

"Please, don't hurt him! He's only a child! An innocent boy!" Lily pleaded.

"Step aside!"

"No! If you have to kill anyone then kill me! But please don't take my baby!"

"You think the pleading and tears of a filthy thing like you is going to stop me?!" Voldemort cackled. "Final chance, Potter. Step aside or face the same fate as your beloved."

The last thing she saw was a flash of green light, and then blackness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter two**

**Aftermath**

Remus instinctively knew something was wrong, so terribly wrong. He rushed to the cupboard where he kept his old school trunk, ripped it open and pulled out a mirror. He tapped it and spoke in a firm voice; "James Potter." He waited a few moments, nothing happened. Trying to remain calm, he tried again, thinking, hoping he was just spending time with Lily after putting Harry to bed. Any moment now, James was going to answer the mirror and tell him to shove off for disturbing him. Still nothing. Slowly losing his grip on his calm, he tried a further few more times, but the same happened. He drew a shaky breath and said; "Sirius Black."

Moments later the disgruntled image of his friend filled the mirror. "You disturb a man when he's entertaining a lady and eating , Moony? I'm hurt." He joked.

"You eat enough to empty Hogwarts yet you don't have anything to show for it. Give up man." Remus smiled for an all too brief moment, revelling in the sense of normalcy his friend brought. "And as for entertaining a lady, which poor unsuspecting woman have you brought back to your kennel?"

"Don't worry mum she's respectable. Anyway what do you want?" Sirius asked.

"I think something's happened with James and Lily. I just tried to call him a few times with the mirror and he didn't answer it." Remus answered.

"He's probably with Lily, leave the man alone. Merlin you're like his mother!"

"And a mother knows when something's wrong." Remus smirked as he saw Sirius roll his eyes.

"You." He jabbed a finger in Remus' direction. "Are worse than a woman. And your monthly cycles are one and the same. Minus the physical transformation."

"Shut up and check on your best friend." Remus, far too used to his jokes by now was unaffected by that. No he was irritated that Sirius had not been fully concentrating.

"Alright, alright..." Sirius sighed, he really didn't want to leave the dinner he was just finishing. Or the frankly beautiful witch that had just made herself comfortable in his bedroom.

"Let me know as soon as you know." Remus said.

"Yes mum." Sirius grumbled and deactivated the mirror. He shoved it back into the drawer and made his way to his bedroom.

The witch on his bed gave him a smile. "Coming in then?"

"I... I have something to do, can we do this another time?" Sirius spoke and hurriedly left the room without giving her a chance to answer.

Once out of the door, he turned into his dog form, and only then did he fully understand what Remus had beem saying. The feeling that something was very, very wrong. He wasted no time in taking off in the direction of the Potter's cottage. It took him all of fifteen minutes, and he jumped, swiftly changing from canine to human in seconds. He looked up at the damage at the side of the house. Where Harry's room once was, it was now blown apart. "No... No, no, no!" He pushed his way into the house. Upon entry, he saw James on the floor, his face a picture of determination and fierce protectiveness. Sirius collapsed on the floor beside him. "James! James come on!" He begged his friend, his brother, willing him to live. Furiously wiping away his tears he made his way up the stairs. "Lily! Harry!" He shouted, breathing a sigh of relief when he heard the cry of a child. He ran up into Harry's room to find Snape standing over Lily's body, while awkwardly trying to comfort the crying infant.

Sirius drew his wand and pointed it squarely at him. "What did you do?!" He snarled.

Severus rolled his eyes. The reaction was expected but how stupid was he?! "Put the wand down, Black. They're fine."

"What do you mean they're fine?! They're dead! Step away from Harry!"

Severus backed away and Sirius took his place, standing protectively in front of Harry.

"Pettigrew betrayed them. If you want to be angry at someone be angry at him. How else wpuld the Dark Lord find them? The Dark Lord thinks them dead now. I brewed Lily a potion and placed a charm on it that would protect her and her family." Severus spole calmly.

Sirius hardly listened to him. He turned to check Harry over, only noticing his forehead bleeding from a scar. He growled and held Harry close to him.

"Black for once in your insolent life listen to me! You were betrayed!" Severus snapped and Apparated away.

James woke up on the floor. He groaned in pain as he rubbed his head. "Lily?" He spoke, though his voice was quiet. He slowly pushed himself standing amd staggered up the stairs. He slowly made his way to Harry's room. "Sirius?"

Sirius whirled around. "James?! No wait! He's dead!"

"Thanks mate..." the man managed a smirk.

"Alright then. If you are my brother, on your wedding day, I told you something I hadn't told anyone else. What was it?"

"You told me a lot of stuff Sirius is this before or after the firewhiskey?"

"Before."

James knew then. "You said to me that even after the stuff that happened, you wished your mother loved you like mine did."

Sirius put Harry down and ran across the room, hugging his best friend tightly.

"Harry?"

Both men looked at the feminine voice spoke and bright green eyes searched the room for her boy.

'So the greasy git was telling the truth.' Sirius thought.

Lily staggered to her feet, fingers gripping the side of the cot to steady herself. "Harry what happened to you?" She gasped, picking up her son and held him close. Moments later another two pairs of arms wrapped around them both.

The four of them stayed there for a few more moments before Sirius stepped back. "I need to fimd a rat."

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"Pettigrew. The bastard betrayed you."

Lily gasped. No, surely not little Peter...

"James, use the mirror, call Remus tell him to stop mothering. I'll see you later."

"You're going nowhere without me, mutt you stay where you are." James said firmly, leaving the room for the mirror in his own bedroom. "Remus Lupin." He spoke, tapping it and carried it through to Sirius.

"James! Oh thank Merlin you're alright! Is Lily there? I just had word from Dumbledore saying the wards had gone and you had been attacked! He's sending someone for Harry!"

James growled. "Peter betrayed us."

"I'm here Remus!" Lily called, keeping Harry close, already packing a bag for Harry with one hand.

Remus sighed in relief at her voice and his eyes flared. "Peter?!"

"And Sirius and I are going after him."

"James you can't!" Lily gasped.

"I am not letting him get away with this." James said firmly.

"James don't go doing anything that will land you both in Azkaban. Get Pettigrew there but not yourselves." Remus told him.

"He as good as sentenced us to death! His friends! What about Harry?! No that rat needs to go." James snapped and deactivated his mirror.

Sirius looked around at Lily. "Get yourself and Harry out of here. I know it's not ideal for Harry but go to my parents' house. Remus will let you in."

James handed his wife the mirror. "Use that to communicate with him. Make sure you ask him to meet you there, just in case something happens." He spoke and kissed her, and then kissed Harry on the head.

"Dada?" Harry reached out for him.

"I'll be with you soon, Harry. You be good for mummy okay?" James looked at him, he was so relieved his family was okay. By rights they should be dead.

Lily looked up at him. "I'll explain all later." She whispered. "Just come back to us."

"I love you both. Don't forget that." James gave them one last hug and kiss before leaving with his brother, just in time to meet Hagrid on Sirius' motorcycle.

James looked at Sirius questioningly.

"He asked to borrow it. Said he might need it soon." Sirius spoke, not quite understanding what he'd just said.

"James? Sirius? Oh my god are you alrigh'?" Hagrid's voice boomed fearfully, seeing the wreck of the house.

"Yeah we're fine Hagrid, Lily and Harry are just inside..." James said. "How did you know to come here?"

"Dumbledore sen' me here didn' 'e. Said I needed ter get Harry to a safe place." Hagrid answered, not realising he'd just let slip of Dumbledore's involvement.

"A safe place? Where?!" Sirius asked. "Besides, there's no need, Lily has him now he's fine. She's getting a bag packed."

"Ter 'er muggle sister's o'course." Hagrid said as though it were obvious. "You mean yer leavin' 'er in there wi'h a young baby on her own?! What if death eaters come back!?"

"No way. Harry is not going to his aunt's. The woman hates him. He is not to set a toenail in that place Hagrid do you understand me?!" James snapped.

"James I have ter follow Dumbledore's orders."

"You tell that old fool from me. James and Lily Potter are by some miracle still alive and are taking their son away from the Wizarding world. I don't know where yet but Harry is not to return to this place until he reaches eleven years old and boarding the Hogwarts Express for the first time." James told him firmly and left with Sirius.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter three**

Remus was waiting outside the Potter's cottage for Lily as she finished packing away her family's things.

Lily had left Harry to play in his cot as she busied herself. It seemed a shame to leave the place she had called home for the past year. Waving her wand to shrink the bags, she pocketed them and made her way back to Harry and picked him up, walking out of the cottage to Remus.

"Ready?" Remus asked.

Lily nodded as he held her arm, side-along Apparating with her.

Once back on the ground, Harry started to cry, startled by the sensation of being squeezed through a tube.

Lily, who was feeling quite ill herself, gently bounced Harry in her arms as Number Twelve appeared in between Eleven and Thirteen. She followed Remus inside the building.

"FILTHY HALFBREED! AND A MUDBLOOD IN TOW! HOW DARE YOU DISGRACE MY HOME!"

"Oh shut up you old bat!" Remus growled, pulling the curtains across, hiding the portrait of Mrs Black behind them, and turned to Lily. "Why don't you put Harry to bed upstairs?"

Lily shook her head. "No... I want to keep him here with me..."

"Lily he's safe here."

"He was safe in his own bed too, Remus." Lily looked at him and walked into the living room. "Incendio." She spoke, pointing her wand at the fireplace before sitting down in the chair next to the fire, keeping Harry close to her.

"I think I'll go to my mother's in the morning."

"What will you tell her?"

"The truth?" Lily sighed softly. "When Harry was born she made me swear no more secrets... that was why we argued last month... secrets... and my sister..."

"Could she handle the truth?"

"Probably not... but she won't see James, Harry and I on the streets..."

Remus looked at his friend, wishing he could do something to help. He'd offer to take them in, but he wasn't safe around a baby full time...

Lily looked up at him. "Remus?"

"If I was... safer... I'd offer my place... I feel like I should do something Lily."

"You're doing enough right now." She gave him a kind smile.

Remus was about to answer her when the fire turned green, and Albus Dumbledore spun out of the fireplace.

"Dumbledore!" Remus gasped.

Lily shot up and backed toward Remus, holding Harry tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Lily, my dear! Thank Merlin you're alright. What of James?" Dumbledore asked, covering up his shock at seeing the woman who should have been dead very much alive.

"He's busy sorting things out for us to stay somewhere as of tomorrow." Lily answered before Remus could answer.

"My dear Lily Harry must be moved right away."

"Where will you take us?"

Dumbledore looked at her. He couldn't very well send Harry to the Dursley's with Lily. He had already put up the wards of protection around the house. "I've just arranged for Harry to go to your sister's, Lily."

Lily glared and pulled her wand that had been hidden in her pocket. "Harry is not going near that foul house! Not without me or James! No we will find somewhere tonight and then we will leave the wizarding world. I suggest you leave Dumbledore."

"Lily please I implore you to see reason-" He was cut off by the flick of Lily's wand as she smashed something quite close to him.

"Leave Dumbledore. I won't miss next time."

Albus Dumbledore knew when he had lost an argument. It didn't happen often, he was always able to talk people around. "Lily..."

"Last chance."

Dumbledore sighed. "I bid you goodnight Lily Potter." He turned and threw more Floo Powder into the fireplace and disappeared.

"Remus I have a sneaking feeling that he will try again."

"He has tracking charms on you Lily." Remus cut her off.

"What?" Lily gasped. She shook her head. "Why... how...?"

"I don't know why. But he must have done it when he helped set up the wards in Godric's Hollow." Remus said. "How do I know? How did he know to look for you here? He looked directly at Harry but was shocked to see you standing there. Stand still Lily." He raised his wand and started to perform a counter spell, ridding both Lily and Harry of the tracking charms. "Where are your bags?"

Lily took the bags out of her pocket, put them on the chair and waved her wand to return the bags to their original size.

"Right go and put Harry to bed and get some sleep yourself. I will take off any charms there may be on them." Remus told her.

Lily sighed softly and nodded, knowing there was no way to argue. "Alright." She looked down at Harry who was already falling to sleep, safe in his mother's arms where he belonged. She turned on her heel and walked past Kreacher, and walked up the stairs to a spare room. She shivered in the cold of the room, flicking her wand at the bed to cast a warming charm on it, and at the fireplace in the room to light the fire. She lay Harry gently on the bed, causing the child to whimper a little at the loss of contact. "Harry, momma's still here... she's still here baby she just needs to take her shoes and cloak off." She said gently, and he relaxed, his eyes still closed.

She whispered a few more words of comfort until he fell asleep, then kicked off her shoes, threw off her cloak and got into the bed, cuddling Harry close to her. "Come on James... where are you...?"

James banged on a door to an unlit house. The house of a man he once called a friend. "PETTIGREW GET OUT HERE! GET OUT HERE AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN YOU COWARDLY BA-"

"James he's not here!" Sirius cut him off, looking through a window, his wand tip illuminating the room inside. From what he could see the house was deserted and had been for some time.

"I'm not leaving until I find that rat responsible for sending the Dark Lord after my family."

Sirius looked at his brother, and he nodded. "Well he's nowhere around here. We'll search Hogsmeade and then we'll venture into the Muggle world. We have to go there anyway to get to my family's home."

James sighed heavily and nodded, amd the pair Disapparated, reappearing in the busy town, unusually alive with excitement.

"Sirius! James! Oh my good Lord you boys are alright!"

Both men were tackled by Andromeda, followed closely by Madame Rosmerta who all but dragged them into the Three Broomsticks.

"What's going on?" Sirius asked.

"Haven't you 'eard? The rumour is the Dark Lord is gone! Gone for good!" Madame Rosmerta told them, offering them both a Firewhiskey.

James and Sirius exchanged looks, before looking back to Madame Rosmerta, pushing the bottles away. "Yeah well I'd like to make sure before we start celebrating our freedom." James told her and spoke louder for people within earshot; "Has anybody seen Peter Pettigrew?!"

Several people shook their heads, one piping up "Where's Remus? What about him not being trusted?"

"Never fully trust a Marauder. All that distrust and blaming each other? Was an act. Sure there was moments where I did blame him... but only briefly. We did it to see who our friends were." Sirius smirked, standing up.

"Remus is with Lily and Harry. They are both safe. You will understand if right now I won't say where they are." James added, leaving the pub with Sirius.

"Muggle London it is then." Sirius told James as they walked. "We'll just get to Diagon Alley and go through that way."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 3**

After half the night searching, James eventually gave up, and he and Sirius appeared at Grimmauld Place, entering the old house to find Remus surrounded by scattered pieces of his friends' belongings.

"Moony? What in the name of Azkaban are you doing?" James asked as the two men entered the sitting room.

"Long story... I'll explain in the morning. For now, I'm going to put everything away and go to bed. Harry and Lily are upstairs asleep." Remus said.

"Leave that, I'll do it. Go on." Sirius urged, which made Remus stand, shooting him a grateful look before nodding his goodnight as he left the room.

"I'd better go up and see Lily." James said, punctuating the sentence with a yawn, then slapped Sirius on the shoulder before walking up the stairs to the room Lily was in, and there he found Lily, fast asleep with her body curled protectively around a sleeping Harry.

James kicked off his shoes and got into the bed behind Lily, hugging his family close to him, silently thanking whoever it was that saved his family.

Sirius waited until James was out of sight, and then left the house silently, searching the streets until he reached the town. Through the crowd of revellers making their way home after a night out, Sirius spotted Peter. "PETTIGREW!" He yelled.

Peter flinched and spun on the spot. "S-Sirius!" He squeaked, looking around wide eyed and trembling.

"You dirty deceiving little rat!" Sirius snarled, advancing on the man he once called a friend.

Drunken men stopped to watch, eagerly awaiting a fight that they was sure was going to happen.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Peter squeaked.

"You betrayed our friends! You sent a murderer after them! They're dead because of you!"

The men around started jeering.

"I didn't mean to!" Peter sobbed.

Sirius ran at him and punched him squarely in the jaw, sending the coward to the ground.

"What about Harry?! He has to grow up not knowing who his parents are! Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you now?!" Sirius growled, and no sooner had he drawn his wand, Peter drew his and threw Sirius off him.

"I was promised greatness, I was promised a high standing position with the Dark Lord." Peter smirked.

Sirius' blood ran cold. This sudden change in his friend scared him. "So you sold your friends out?! You remember the kindness Lily showed to you?! The trust she had in you to keep her family safe?!"

"Lily was the only person to show me any form of kindness. I got ignored by the people I called friends, I was always the one to be the lookout I was never included." Peter sulked, flicking his wand sending a jinx at him.

"And you sentenced her to death!" Sirius snarled, dodging the jinx Peter had sent his way. He knew he was lying about his friends being dead, but Peter did not. At least now he saw his friend's true intentions.

Soon the former friends were in a full on duel which resulted in an explosion, killing a dozen Muggles standing by. While Sirius was lying unconscious on the ground, Peter had used a severing hex on his hand, cutting off a finger and fled the scene.

Ministry officials gathered on the scene to find the unconscious man, one of their best Aurors unconscious on the ground surrounded by a dozen dead bodies, all of whom were Muggles.

"We have to arrest one of our best Aurors... Merlin's beard the Minister'll have a heart attack..."

Amelia Bones silenced her colleague. "There has to be an explanation. Sirius Black is not a killer!"

"Ma'am I mean no disrespect but look around."

"That means nothing. He could have been caught up in an attack." Amelia said forcefully. "We'll get him back to the Ministry, wake him up and ask him what happened." She looked as her fellow Aurors stood doing nothing. "What are you waiting for? A signal? Get moving!"

Instantly the young Aurors lifted Sirius and Disapparated.

"Oh dear Merlin Sirius what have you done...?" Amelia sighed softly looking around the scene before her and she too Disapparated.

When Sirius awoke he found himself inside a very familiar room. An interrogation room at the Ministry. "What am I doing here?"

Kingsley looked over at his colleague. "We found you. The boss said to bring you here."

"But where's Peter?" Sirius.

"Pettigrew?" Kingsley's question was answered with a nod. "He wasn't there Sirius. You were unconscious surrounded by dead bodies."

Sirius' blood ran cold. There was only one conclusion to that statement, a conclusion he too would have come to. "Kingsley... mate you know I'd never-"

"I can't help you Sirius."

"Check my wand! All I threw at the rat was stunners and hexes!"

Kingsley was about to answer when the door opened, revealing the Minister and Amelia Bones.

"What were you doing in Muggle London Black?" The Minister asked, not even bothering with pleasantries.

"Tracking down a rat." Sirius growled. "The Dark Lord went after the Potters tonight. And Pettigrew betrayed them."

"Little Peter Pettigrew? I don't believe it." Kingsley shook his head.

"Why would he betray his friends, Black? And how do you know the Potters would be targetted tonight?"

"I didn't!" Sirius sighed heavily. "Amelia please see reason why would-"

Sirius was cut off with a glare from the woman. He couldn't believe it. His friends, colleagues actually believed he was responsible for those Muggles' deaths, and now he'd mentioned it, the attack on his friends.

"Hagrid saw you leaving the Potters' tonight. After the attack. He went inside and couldn't find the bodies. What did you do to them, Black?" The Minister snarled.

"I didn't do anything!" Sirius shouted.

"Sirius Black we'll have to arrest you for the murder of twelve Muggles, the disappearance of Peter Pettigrew and possible betrayal of the Potters."

Sirius shouted out, protested his innocence loudly as he was taken away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 4**

The disappearance of the Potters spread through the Wizarding World quickly that night.

Lily woke with Harry still in her arms sleeping, and a body pressed against her back. She smiled softly as she turned her head slightly to catch a glimpse of that messy dark hair. She slowly pushed herself up and off the bed and she stood, looking at the two people that made her life complete, wishing she had a camera to capture that moment. She knew she had to wake them though, so she gave James' shoulder a shake. "Come on, wake up." She said as she knelt down against the bed so she could look into her son's eyes when she woke up. She softly brushed a finger down the tiny bridge of his nose just as she would with a cat. "Come on Harry... it's morning now." She gently coaxed him. She smiled widely as his green eyes met her own. She stood and picked him up in her arms. Deciding to leave James to slowly wake up on his own, she carried Harry out of the room and down to the kitchen.

Upon entering the kitchen she found Remus, with his elbows up on the table propping his head up in his hands. "Bad night?"

Remus sighed heavily. "You could say that... Sirius has been arrested. Just got word from Amelia."

"What? What on earth for?!" Lily gasped.

"The disappearance of Peter. I knew he'd get himself into trouble!" Remus growled. "She also apologised for yours and James' death. I imagine somebody will say Harry was taken away to a safe place or maybe he was killed and you three were dumped somewhere since clearly there won't be any corpses."

"Oh Remus don't talk like that." Lily admonished as she sat Harry on a chair and proceeded to look in the cupboards for breakfast.

"It's the truth. I had a feeling that stupid mutt would do something, I heard it in his tone."

"It must have been late when they came back. You had every right to feel exhausted. It was a long night for us all." Lily said gently.

"About 2 in the morning." Remus nodded. "But that doesn't excuse my lapse in concentration."

Lily stopped, turned on the spot and gripped his shoulder. "Yes. It. Does." She told him. "We were all tired. We know what Sirius is like when he needs to do something. Quite literally a dog with a bone. Now you will shush about it. Sirius will be fine all they have to do is examine his wand and find the last spell cast. How can he be called a Death Eater that betrayed us to Voldemort? He doesn't have the mark for Merlin's sake."

Remus sighed and nodded again. "I just think something bad will happen Lily."

"Then we face it together. You know you can still come and see us wherever we will be, even if we can't come back to the Wizarding world until it's Harry's turn at Hogwarts. But whatever this is... we face it together just as we always have. We're Gryffindors and we need to prove it. Understand me?"

Remus heard what she was saying, and nodded, pretending that he had listened to her. "You really think we'll be fine?"

"I know so." She nodded, not believing her words, but right now her friend needed her strength.

James emerged in the kitchen after breakfast. "Where's Sirius? I thought he was meant to be sorting that lot in there?"

Lily looked up from making a funny face at Harry, and bit her lip. "Sirius was taken in for questioning..."

"What?! Why?" James shouted, and stopped when Harry gave a frighted cry.

"Shh... it's okay Harry, Dada didn't mean to shout." Lily soothed the crying boy.

James walked over and picked his son up. "I'm sorry son." He cuddled him close. "Now does somebody want to tell me what in the name of Merlin that mutt has done?!"

"It seems he went after Peter when we went to bed." Remus sighed heavily.

"The stupid fu-"

"James!" Lily cut him off with a glare.

"And what happened to the rat?"

"Nobody knows. But I'm going to the Ministry to find out." Remus said.

"Right well I'm coming with you. Just because one betrayed us doesn't mean we should let each other down now."

"What about Lily? She can't be left here."

"I'll go to my mum's. I can ask her if we can stay with her until we get our own place." Lily said.

James nodded and looked at Remus. "Ready?"

The other man shook his head. "Come on."

James kissed Harry on the head and Lily on the lips, handing the boy back to his mother and he left with Remus.

Lily carried Harry through to the living room. "Let's get this tidied and we'll go see Nana yeah? Maybe we'll go see Auntie Tuney... just to let her know we're safe."

Harry just gurgled in response.

Lily smiled and put him on the floor while she put everything back in the bags.

Harry had crawled across the room and picked up a wand lying on the floor and started hitting it against the floor.

"Harry don't do that please." Lily looked to her son. "That's uncle Moony's you must be careful with that." She said as she finished packing the bags. With a flick of her wand she shrunk the bags, pocketed them and her wand and she picked Harry up, taking the wand from him and placed it on the table. "Ready?" She smiled at him and carried him outside, looking around her and Disapparated to her sister's home. She knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

Inside she could hear things being thrown and a child screaming, and she rolled her eyes. And then the door opened.

"L-Lily?!" The woman gasped.

"Tuney... hello..." Lily smiled softly. "I just thought I'd drop by before I went to see mum..."

Though she despised what her sister was, Petunia could tell something was wrong. "What's happened?"

Lily took a deep breath, tears threatening to fall. "W-we were attacked last night... James has gone to sort something out but we can't return to Godric's Hollow..."

"Oh Lily..." Petunia sighed and put a hand on her arm to comfort her. "Vernon's gone to work if you'd like to come in?"

"N-no we can't stay." Lily wiped her eyes. "I just thought you'd like to know Harry and I were safe, just in case word got to you."

"What about... who was after you?"

"I've no idea... I can only hope that when he tried to kill Harry that something happened to make it backfire and..."

"Kill him instead of the boy?" Petunia finished, and her sister nodded in response.

"Anyway I should go. I'll ask mum to tell you of our new home." Lily hugged her sister, turned and left Privet Drive.

"Shall I give Severus his thanks and tell Albus to give up?"

Lily spun, drawing her wand and froze. "Pr-professor McGonagall?!" She gasped, lowering her wand. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Albus had me watch your sister's house. He intended the boy be placed in her care."

"But my sister hates magic, has done ever since I got my Hogwarts letter and she wasn't allowed to come. If she knew magic had killed me she would have been bitter toward him. That's why I refused. And how did you know about Severus?"

"He asked for mine and Filius' help." Minerva said. "I haven't told Albus."

"I noticed." Lily smiled a little and continued to walk. "I heard about Sirius... what happened?"

"I don't know full details Lily... but Peter has disappeared, and Sirius is the one who saw him last." Minerva said as she walked.

Lily sighed. "But Sirius wouldn't kill him... seriously injure yes..."

"How do you know he was killed?"

"I married an Auror, I know Auror terms when I hear them. If it was just a case of Peter disappearing they wouldn't haul in his friends for questioning. They would if there was a risk to his life or death."

Minerva nodded. "So where will you go?"

"I will wait for James at my mum's and we will find somewhere to live."

Minerva nodded again. "We won't see you untill your son is eleven will we."

It wasn't a question and Lily knew it. "I'm sorry, Professor...-"

"Minerva, please, we are not in school now, Lily." the older woman smiled.

"Sorry... old habits die hard I guess... but we can't return... it's not safe."

"Lily the Dark Lord fell the night he attacked your family. He's gone. You should be celebrating not hiding away."

"His followers are still out there. I refuse to let Harry live in fear. We'll disappear into this world for the next ten years."

Both women stopped at the Apparition point and Lily looked at her former Head of House. "I'll see you again soon."

Minerva smiled softly at the young woman she had watched grow up. "Take care Lily."

Lily smiled, turned on the spot and disappeared.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 5**

James and Remus burst into a room once they got to the Ministry.

"What in the name of-" the Ministry official stopped when he saw the two men. "J-James Potter!"

The Minister stopped talking to Sirius and turned on the spot to face the men. "Potter? Lupin?"

"See I told you James was fine! I had to tell Pettigrew they were gone just to see his true side! Now go and find the damn rat and let me live in peace!" Sirius snapped, glaring at his two friends. "What bloody time d'you call this?!"

"Sorry, Padfoot, sleep called." James smirked. "Yes, my wife, son and I are perfectly fine, but I would like the rumours to stay as they are, we have disappeared, believed dead if you wish to, but we are going far away from this world until my son reaches the age for Hogwarts admission."

"B-but... how can you possibly survive an attack from Lord Voldemort?" the Minister asked.

"Merlin only knows. But we were lucky. Now I'd like you to release my friend and we will leave." James said.

At that moment, a note flew into the room and into the Minister's hands. "I'm sorry, Potter, I can't do that." he said, reading the note. "We have Muggle witnesses say that they saw Black attack Pettigrew, cause an explosion and kill several people. They have also found Pettigrew's finger. No doubt the only thing left over from such a brutal murder."

"I did no such thing!" Sirius shouted.

James and Remus looked at each other. Something very wrong was going to happen if they didn't act fast. "How reliable are these witnesses?" James asked.

The Minister spluttered. "What?!"

"How reliable are they? If Sirius was in a full on duel with the trecherous rat, how can they be sure that he was the one that caused the explosion? Did you examine his wand?"

"Of course we are examining it!" The Minister snapped.

"Then we will wait here for the results." James said. "If my best friend has done something stupid to land himself in Azkaban I'll escort him myself. If he's just thrown school yard spells, which is more likely, then he's done nothing wrong and we will leave as a trio."

The Minister paled slightly. There was no way he was going to be able to throw Black in Azkaban if he was innocent. He needed to actually get the wand and fake a report. "Very well, Potter." he said and left the room, the other officials leaving with him, leaving just the three friends alone in the room.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Remus growled.

"The rat needed to pay. How was I to know he'd do this?" Sirius sighed heavily.

"Use your brain Sirius! The man's been feeding information behind our backs! It's because he's so quiet and shy that we used him as our Secret Keeper and you as the diversion! We would never have known, not for all the Auror training in the world!" James snapped. "Because of Albus bloody Dumbledore we changed the plan and followed what he wanted of us!"

"I know, James! But I couldn't let him get away with it! The Dark Lord may have fallen last night but Pettigrew would have still been out there! I've half a mind to wait until it's a full moon and let Remus have him!"

"Well he's disappeared, and as much as I'd love to, I'm not searching the whole of Britain for a rat with a missing toe. If he's even still alive." Remus said.

"Oh come on! You can't think I actually killed him!"

"I don't know what to believe right now, Sirius."

"Alright you two, let's calm it before this goes too far." James said, stepping between them.

"No, say what you have to say, Remus."

"Sirius leave it!" James growled. "I don't want to believe Pettigrew meant to hurt us either, but the fact is we know he did. We can't ignore that. We also need to get to the bottom of this disappearance."

Sirius sighed and slumped in his chair, glaring at the wall.

James sighed and looked between his friends.

Lily knocked on the door of her parents' home, moments later the door opened to reveal her father standing there.

"Lily, what brings you here?"

"We need help dad..." Lily said quietly, and walked in to the house as he stepped aside.

"Help? What with?"

"I'll explain in a minute..." Lily said softly, walking into the living room to see her mother sitting there. "Please sit down..." she said, placing Harry on the floor.

"Lily, what's going on?" her father asked, sitting down.

"We were attacked last night. We were supposed to have been killed." Lily said as she took a deep breath.

"What?! What do you mean attacked?" By who?" her father yelled out in shock.

"Do you remember me telling you both, that I couldn't tell you everything and we had to go into hiding?" Lily spoke, and waited for her parents to nod. "Well there were only a few people to know where we were, and one of our friends betrayed us to the dark wizard who was after us. He came for us last night. I don't know how we're not, but we should be dead. And we can't return home."

Lily's mother got up and hugged her tightly. "Oh Lily..."

Lily hugged back, closing her eyes. "I was just wondering... at least until James finds us somewhere-"

"You can stay as long as you need to."

Lily smiled as her mother sat beside her, and she watched Harry playing on the floor.

"Look at him... there's not a care in the world. Absolutely no idea that he could not have been sitting here now. Lily what's that on his forehead?"

Lily listened to her mother and shrugged. "I don't know. I think it might have been from last night. I'd have to ask..." she gently brushed Harry's hair with her fingers to look at the scar. "It doesn't seem to be causing him too much bother..." she added and dropped her hand.

"Where is James now?" her father asked.

"One of our other friends went out after the traitor, and now he's been charged with his disappearance. So James has gone to try and get him out."

Her father sighed. "I knew those boys would get into trouble one day, the way your letters described them. I was especially surprised about you and James."

"Me too..." Lily admitted, smiling down at Harry. "But I wouldn't change it for anything."


End file.
